ONE of the more compelling reasons why many kababayans are pushing for the passing of a comprehensive immigration reform is to facilitate the speeding up of family reunification. This is especially true for those who have been waiting for many years for their ates or kuyas (with their spouses and kids) to finally re-join the family, after being left behind in…

I HAVE been following and writing about the conclave and the election of Pope Benedict XVI’s successor. But I was pleasantly surprised by my own emotions, when I saw white smoke coming out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. I was glued to the TV screen just before I drove to the TFC studio…

VOTING in American Idol. Campaigning for Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle for the Papacy. Voting for a Pinoy to be CNN Hero of the Year. Participating in the Philippine and US Presidential elections. What compels Filipinos to momentarily drop what they are doing and deviate a little from their everyday routine in life (be it work, household chores, their…

AS THE world awaits the Cardinals in the Vatican to start the conclave and elect the next Pope, Catholics debate on the qualities they wish to be embodied by the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Before the Cardinals were ordered not to speak out about the impending election of Benedict XVI’s (who resigned…

AS THE world awaits the Cardinals in the Vatican to start the conclave and elect the next Pope, Catholics debate on the qualities they wish to be embodied by the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Before the Cardinals were ordered not to speak out about the impending election of Benedict XVI’s (who resigned…

AFTER the Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation on February 28, the Roman Catholic Church may have a new leader before the beginning of Holy Week (on March 24, Palm Sunday). St. Peter, the first leader of the Catholic Church, was believed by Catholics to be selected by Jesus when He told him: “Come with me and…

THIS week, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) started releasing undocumented immigrants being held in immigration jails around the country — days before mandatory budget cuts go into effect across the government. The White House was reportedly never consulted, but the Associated Press reported that President Obama’s spokesperson…

DO YOU wish to support the cause of our kababayans, who will benefit from the passage of a true comprehensive immigration reform? Do you email? Are you on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media platforms? Then, there is something you can do. As we reported on The Filipino Channel’s Balitang America last Monday, high-tech leaders…

CALIFORNIA is home to the biggest number of Filipinos in America. It is also the biggest state in the nation in terms of population. According to the new findings released by the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice based on the 2010 US Census, Filipinos have now become the largest Asian American group in California….

THE momentum for a real immigration reform is finally building up: the gang of eight bi-partisan Senators have introduced their immigration reform plan; Pres. Barack Obama supported the plan and pushed for the passing of a comprehensive immigration reform bill within six months; a  majority of Americans now support granting qualified undocumented immigrants a path…

THE announcement of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation on Monday shocked the Catholic community around the world, including our kababayans. This has never happened in 600 years, and many wondered why the pope would step down from his post, after only seven years of leading the Roman Catholic Church. But during the Ash Wednesday mass in Saint…

WHO will be the next Pope? This has been the question many people have been asking after the surprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI last Monday. Kababayans from all over the world even went as far as to ask: Could the next leader of the Catholic Church be Filipino? According to Reuters, Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio…

LAST Wednesday, I wrote about President Barack Obama’s call for Americans “to keep the pressure on the members of Congress to do the right thing and “support common-sense reforms like requiring universal background checks, or restoring the ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines…to tell them there’s no legislation to eliminate all guns; there’s…

CARLOS Celdran was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the crime of “offending religious feelings,” under Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code. This stemmed from a complaint filed against him by the Catholic Church  when he staged a protest inside the Manila Cathedral while an ecumenical service (not a mass, as reported by some)…

COULD and should a person be imprisoned for “offending religious feelings?” In the Philippines, it is possible. That is exactly what the judge ruled in a case filed by Monsignor Nestor Cerbo of the Manila Cathedral (Catholic Church vs Carlos Celdran) over Celdran’s violation of Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code. On September 30,…

BARACK Obama just renewed his oath of office, to serve as our president for four more years. His second inauguration coincided with two important moments in history, made possible by two great men, who have been a big influence in Obama’s guiding principles and conviction as a leader — Martin Luther King and President Abraham…

THE Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has been named by an interactive travel website as “the worst airport in Asia.” But many Filipinos back home are still forgiving, even defensive in protecting the Philippines’ image. For many kababayans who have been to other airports in the world, and those who frequently fly in and out of the…

AFTER the announcement of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Nepolitano on a new ruling (which will give immediate family members of US citizens unlawfully staying in the United States provisional waivers so they can continue to live in the US while awaiting their green card), we have seen spikes of advertisements in both traditional…

THE debate continues following the massacre of 20 first graders and six adults in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut — the tipping point after many other deadly shootings in America in the past few years. In the wake of this tragedy, Gallup Poll conducted a survey (from December 19-22, 2012), finding 58 percent…

ON Saturday, I wrote about the new ruling announced by the Obama Administration last January 2, which reduces the time US citizens are separated from their undocumented, overstaying, or what we Pinoys broadly refer to as TnT (Tago ng Tago) immediate relatives (spouse, children and parents) who are in the process of obtaining visas to become lawful…

THE start of new year has brought forth a new reason for kababayans to look forward to 2013 with a renewed sense of optimism in their seemingly elusive dream of being able to live with their family in America without fear of being prosecuted and deported. On January 2, the Obama administration announced a new immigration rule…

WITH several mass killings in the past years, finally, the demand and push for solutions to solve gun violence in America has reached a tipping point. More than two weeks ago, twenty young innocent first graders and six school personnel were brutally slaughtered by a lone young gun man in Sandy Hook Elementary School in…

AMERICA deeply mourns the death of 20 innocent young children (between six and seven years old) and the 7 adults, who were ruthlessly gunned down by one deranged young man in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday, December 14. “I am very mindful that mere words cannot match the depths of your…

TWO successive losses for our Pambansang Kamao have knocked down the morale of many kababayans around the world, who have looked up to Manny Pacquiao as the modern-day hero of Filipinos. His recent knock-out loss to Juan Manuel Marquez has made Pinoys wonder if it is time for Pacman to: (a) hang up his gloves, (b) return to the Catholic faith…

IF THERE is anyone who still has doubts about the powerful influence of our Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao, particularly among Filipinos in every corner of the world, then the fourth bout between the Pacman and Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez must have already knocked that out for good. After Pacquiao was knocked out by Marquez in…

“PRINCESS KATE is pregnant, and why do we care?,” TIME Magazine asked, following the brouhaha over the news that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their firstborn child. This baby will be heir to the throne — third in line, after his or her father, Prince William. The fascination over Kate’s pregnancy goes beyond the…

IN A few days, we will be bidding goodbye to 2012 and welcoming 2013. As many of us do in our personal life, The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast Balitang America also looks back to the big stories of the year that is about to end through our Yearender Special. One of the favorite segments of this annual…

TODAY, I celebrate a milestone in my blessed life. I am halfway there… I took off from work for a long personal weekend to map out where I had been, where I am now, and where I am going in the next course. As we do our usual daily grind in life, we only know…

LAST week, US District Judge Audrey B. Collins ruled against churches that tried to keep a 60-year Nativity tradition alive, “after atheists stole the show with anti-God messages.” She rejected a motion from the Santa Monica Nativity Scenes Committee, to allow the religious display this season while their lawsuit plays out against the city. Kababayans and…

ONE of the rituals many Fil-Am families enjoy doing during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend is putting up a Christmas tree and decorations, for that early Christmas feeling. Our friends and family, business establishments, public parks and places back home in the Philippines do that even earlier – some even as early as September (the start…